Lebanon September 2018 Bekaa & Baalbek - El-Hermel Governorates Pro le

POPULATION OVERVIEW 926,915 GENERAL OVERVIEW The Bekaa valley region is People living in Bekaa and administratively split into two Baalbek - El-Hermel Governorates governorates: Baalbek/Hermel Akkar Al Qaa (located in the north) and Bekaa Hermel 555,149 (located in the south). Along Lebanese the Bekaa region lies Lebanon’s North 59% largest ocial border crossing Baalbek/Aarsal with Syria, located in the Baalbek/El-Hermel Hermel 174,763 Masnaa locality. The region is Mount Baalbek P Deprived Beirut Lebanon home to 555,149 Lebanese, Wavel Lebanese 23,7 per cent of which are Zahle considered deprived, in Bekaa Refugees Masnaa 38% addition to 338,577 registered Joub Janine Syrian refugees, 16,863 Governorate boundaries

Rachaiya Palestinians and 16,326 Capital

Lebanese returnees, as the Major Towns West Bekaa Baalbek El -Hermel Rachaiya Zahle region makes up the vast El Nabatieh P Palestinian Camps majority of Lebanon’s 375 km South Official border crossing status border with Syria. With more 43% Open 32% than half of its population Closed Lebanese being refugees, the region is one of the most aected by the Unofficial Syrian crisis. crossing Registered Syrian 45% Refugees 33% Until August 2017, Baalbek’s north-eastern border was the site of sporadic armed clashes opposing Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and Hezbollah to Islamist Armed 338,577 Opposition Groups (I/AOG) around the localities of Aarsal, al-Zoueitini, Khreibeh, Qaa and Ras Baalbek. Some border towns were also subject to suicide bombings Palestine Refugees and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). 53% 39% This had impacted the humanitarian response as security forces restricted access of humanitarian actors and their operations, enacted Syrian-only curfews, and put hundreds of Syrians under detention in raids on the informal settlements of Ain 16,863 al-Shaab, Tibeh and Baalbek.

Lebanese returnees 60% August 2017 marked a signi cant milestone in the stabilization of the region. Indeed, positions previously held since 2014 by I/AOG Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and - ISIS have been cleared by successive operations led by Hezbollah and the Lebanese Armed Forces. Marking the improvement of the security situation, the al-Qaa 16,326 Jousieh border crossing re-opened in December 2017, after ve years of closure. The LAF intermittently conducts military operations against local drug cartels which prevail in some towns, which can seldom lead to unrest. BEKAA BAALBEK-HERMEL Total National The sectarian composition of the Bekaa region is mixed: Baalbek/Hermel Informal Tented Settlemets (ITS) governorate hosts a predominantly Shiite majority with pockets of Christians and Sunnis; Bekaa governorate hosts a more diverse group of religious sects namely 19,015 Tents 15,894 Tents 46,429 Christians, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze - with no notable majority. Mostly rural, the 112,314 Syrian Refugees 84,951Syrian Refugees 262,376 region’s economy relies largely on agricultural production, with accordant employment concentration. 79 UN agencies and NGOs have a presence across the Public Schools region. Regular inter-agency and sector coordination meetings are held in Zahle, 49 out of 119 41 out of 107 1279 located in Bekaa governorate. Primary Health Centers

6 out of 20 3 out of 19 220

Social Development Centers (SDCs)

6 out of 18 6 out of 18 233

Union of Municipalities/Municipalities

8/103 10/64 76/1078

HUMANITARIAN & STABILIZATION SITUATION With 84 per cent of households in Baalbek-Hermel and 77 per cent in Bekaa living under the Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket (US$ 87), the area witnesses an especially high level of poverty among registered Syrian refugees. This deprivation is combined with signi cant labor oversupply. The region indeed has amongst the lowest employment-to-population ratios in the country, with 56 per cent of Syrian refugee men not working. A likely consequence is the poor average household monthly per capita income, which ranges between 20 and 30 US$ in the region, the lowest in all Lebanon.

Competition for lower-skilled jobs, which remains the primary source of tension across all Lebanon1, is particularly dire in Bekaa, with 92 per cent of respondents identifying it as the primary source of tension between communities, for 62 per cent in Baalbek/Hermel. Nevertheless, 49 per cent of respondents in Bekaa and 34 per cent in Baalbek/Hermel perceive that there are no community tensions2.

The Shelter situation is particularly marked by the high prevalence of Informal settlements, which are the most common in Baalbek-Hermel (50 per cent) followed by the Bekaa (38 per cent), which signals dire housing conditions. Overcrowding, which is more prevalent in areas with higher concentrations of informal settlements, is consequently high in the region , as close to half of households live in overcrowded shelters. Over 20 per cent of said refugees in Lebanon are currently residing in one of the Informal Settlements located in the Bekaa region (includes Baalbek/Hermel), of which 48 per cent are located in the Bekaa governorate and 52 per cent in the Baalbek/Hermel governorate2.

The region has also been subject to particularly heavy environmental toll. The region is subject to the highest burden on existing solid waste management infrastructure. Available evidence also points out to the region being subject to the highest increases in domestic water demand, wastewater generation, groundwater contamination, due to the region having been subject to a high refugee inux combined with an infrastructure which was facing severe diculties prior to the crisis. Particularly environmentally vulnerable areas in terms of surface water pollution include Baalbek, Barr Elias, Qabb Elias, Machghara, Saadnayel, Taalbaya, Ghazze due to a high soil in ltration rate3. Despite a remarkably high proportion of refugees to Lebanese, the PRL community in the region remains small compared to other regions. Indeed, the region hosts 4 per cent of the total PRL population. These live in 10 dierent groupings, the main one being the Wavel camp, on the outskirts of Baalbek. HUMANITARIAN & STABILIZATION *

SITUATION Baalbek 10 6 2 10 8 7 7 9 83 6 9 With 84 per cent of households in Baalbek-Hermel and 77 per El Hermel 3 2 1 3 2 2 4 2 1 1 2 cent in Bekaa living under the Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket (US$ 87), the area witnesses an especially high level of Rachaya 4 1 6 4 2 5 2 2 1 2 poverty among registered Syrian refugees. This deprivation is combined with signi cant labor oversupply. The region West Bekaa 9 6 1 8 7 2 10 7 8 3 4 6 indeed has amongst the lowest employment-to-population ratios in the country, with 56 per cent of Syrian refugee men Zahle 8 5 2 9 8 8 11 8 3 5 6 not working. A likely consequence is the poor average Source: ActivityInfo as of 11/06/2018 household monthly per capita income, which ranges between 20 and 30 US$ in the region, the lowest in all Lebanon. * Data not available

Competition for lower-skilled jobs, which remains the primary 79 UN Agencies and partners operating in the area source of tension across all Lebanon1, is particularly dire in ABAAD, ACF, ActionAid, ADRA, Al Majmouaa, Al Mithaq, AMEL, Ana Aqra, Bekaa, with 92 per cent of respondents identifying it as the ANERA, ARCPA, ARCS, AVSI, Avsi-Cesvi, Caritas Lebanon, CISP, DAF, Danish primary source of tension between communities, for 62 per Red Cross/Lebanese Red Cross, Dar El Fatwa, DOT, DRC, FAO, FPSC - cent in Baalbek/Hermel. Nevertheless, 49 per cent of Lebanon, GAME, GVC, HelpAge, HI, Himaya, HOOPS, Humedica, ICU, IMC, respondents in Bekaa and 34 per cent in Baalbek/Hermel Injaz, International Alert, Intersos, IOCC, IOM, IR, IR Lebanon, IRC, KAFA, perceive that there are no community tensions2. Lebanese Red Cross, LOST, LRI, LSESD, MAG, Magna Lebanon, Makassed, MAP, MAPS, MEDAIR, Medecin du Monde, Mercy Corps, MoSA, Mouvement Social, Nabad, NRC, Order of Malta, OXFAM, RI, SAMS, SAWA Group, SB The Shelter situation is particularly marked by the high Overseas, SBO, SCI, SFCG, SIDC, Solidarités, TAAWON, TdH-Italy, TDH-Laus- prevalence of Informal settlements, which are the most anne, UNDP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, URDA, WCH, WFP, WRF, WVI. common in Baalbek-Hermel (50 per cent) followed by the Bekaa (38 per cent), which signals dire housing conditions. Overcrowding, which is more prevalent in areas with higher concentrations of informal settlements, is consequently high in the region , as close to half of households live in Key contacts overcrowded shelters. Over 20 per cent of said refugees in Inter Agency Coordination: Ministry of Social A airs (MoSA) Hussein Lebanon are currently residing in one of the Informal Salemm, [email protected], UNHCR Josep Zapater, Settlements located in the Bekaa region (includes [email protected] and UNDP Garabed Haroutunian, Baalbek/Hermel), of which 48 per cent are located in the Bekaa [email protected] governorate and 52 per cent in the Baalbek/Hermel Bekaa Governor: Mr Kamal Abou Jaoude Baalbek-Hermel Governor: 2 governorate . Mr Bachir Khodr

The region has also been subject to particularly heavy environmental toll. The region is subject to the highest burden on existing solid waste management infrastructure. Available evidence also points out to the region being subject to the highest increases in domestic water demand, wastewater generation, groundwater contamination, due to the region having been subject to a high refugee inux combined with an infrastructure which was facing severe diculties prior to the crisis. Particularly environmentally vulnerable areas in terms of surface water pollution include Baalbek, Barr Elias, Qabb Elias, Machghara, Saadnayel, Taalbaya, Ghazze due to a high soil in ltration rate3. Despite a remarkably high proportion of refugees to Lebanese, the PRL community in the region remains small compared to other regions. Indeed, the region hosts 4 per cent of the total PRL population. These live in 10 dierent groupings, the main one being the Wavel camp, on the outskirts of Baalbek.

1 Regular Perception Surveys on Social Tensions throughout Lebanon Wave II: Narrative Report January 2018, accessible on https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/ les/resources/document_41.pdf. Last accessed on 27/07/2018 2 VASyR 2017 3 Lebanon Environmental Assessment of the Syrian Conict & Priority Interventions, MOE/EU/UNDP, 2014